Headlight-shade.



J. R. GREEN. HEADLIGHT SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3,1910.

"998,501. Patented July 18, 1911.

l0 REI-Zecmva szmmcs WITNESSES: /5 INVENTOR.

61 14 46 1 LIOHN R GREEN.

W romvzvs.

, to estimate 'provements in Headlight-Shades,

JOHN B. denim, or nannnn'r,

TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF 'IO PETEB KILDUFF,

or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HEADLIGHT-SHADE.

V Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Application filed February 3, 1910. Serial No. 541,810.

To all whom it may concern:-

, Be it known that I, JOHN R. GREEN; a citizen of the United States,residing at Dalhart, Dallam county, and State of Texas, have inventedcertain new and useful Im- I -of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to shades intended for use on the headlights oflocomotives, electric cars, automobiles, and other vehicles, and hasforits-object to provide a simple and efiective means for omitting theen ineer or driver to out o the main ray of i ht or'such portion thereofas may be desira. Is at will. i i

At the present time powerful headlights are largely used on suchvehicles as those mentioned and their use is'very' desirable, especiallyon locomotives intended for high speed service, where it is desirable tostron 1y illuminate the track and surrounding 0 jects for as-great adistance as pos-' sible in advance. However, owing to the ve feature forwhich such headlights are desirable, viz., the intensity of the cam oflight which they throw, they possess the disadvantage that they so blinda person looking toward them that it is very difficult the distance tothem, whether they are advancing or receding, and if advancing, thespeed of advance. Because of these facts many-serious railroad accidentshaveoccurred, and a strong prejudice has arisen against their use incertain classes fireman will not be h a way that the track gineer or ofservice. Itis therefore desirable to provide means for enabling an,engineer or fireman to shade his headlight as he approaches anotherlocomotive so that the enfireman of the approaching loco. motive willnot be blinde in the above described manner.

It is the object of this invention to provide a shade which may bepplled down or deflected by the engineer or fireman so as to control thebeam fromhis a way that the ap reaching engineer or inded, but also insuch for a proper distance in front of the locomotive will be wellilluminated. Such -a shade must be mechanicall strong enough towithstand the wind an other forces coming upon it when adapted to beheadlight in such.

-firmly in any desired position, 'notwith travelin at high speed, and itmust also be comp etely under the control of the operator 1n the cabwithout the necessity of his undul exposing himself.

In the rawm Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a bee light having myshade attached to it, showing a rod connected to-the shade and adaptedto be connected with a suitable handle or other device in the cab,showing also by dotted lines the position which the shade may be made toassume &or cutting off the main beam of light, and also showing bydotted lines the manner in which the shade may be turned up out oftheway after the rod has been disconnected therefrom to enable theoperator to open the front doors of the headlight for cleaning or otherpu oses. Fig. 2 1s a front elevation .of a hea light having my shadeattached to it and showing by dotted lines the low- ,ercd position ofthe shade; and Fig. 3 is a detail showing one method of securing thecontrolling rod or other device in any desired position in the cab.

A headlight 3, which may be of any suitable construction,' is preferablyprovided with a pair of lugs 4 and 5, near v\tsnpper portion, andpreferabl as far fbrvvard on thebody portion of t e headlight as 41ozsible. These lugs should be some distance apart so that they may supporta shade 6 firml against twisting forces. The shade 6, whic maybe of anysuitable form and size, may be provided with a pair of ears 7 anfastened tothe lugs 4 and 5, as by means of bolts 9 and 10. The shadeshould be of a width which will ermit its rear portion to extend pastthe ody part of the lamp when the shade is deflected downward into thedotted line position Any desired connecting means, such as stifi rod 11,provided withan enlar d on portion 12, may be used for control ing theshade from the cab. This connecting means must be so stiif that it 'willhold the shade standing wind. and other forces coming upon the shade; 12of the rod is preferably provided with a hole for receiving a thumb.screw or bolt 13 so' that when desired the rod can be'easilydisconnected from theshade when the latter The enlarged end portionis tobe thrown up into a position 14 for permitting the doors and lenses 15and 16 to be opened. i

The shade should be of such a design that when thrown down into a!position 17 the upper portion 18 of the beam of lightswill not strikethc eyes of the engineer or fireman in the .cab of the approachinglocomotive, and yet so that the track will be well illuminated for somedistance in front of the locomotive on which the headlight shade isbeing controlled. I

The rod 11 'may be provided with a gripping portion 19 for permittin itto be easily manipulated, and any suitab e means, such as a thumb-screw20 may be rovided to'lock the rod in any desired position with respecttothe frame work 21 of the locomotive.

It is seen that the shade of my invention may be so designed andconstructed that. it may completely cut off that portion of the beam oflight which would otherwise inter-. fere with the vision of anapproaching engineer or fireman, but so that It will not out oil thatortion of the beam of light necessary to i luminate the trackimmediately in front of the locomotive carrying the shaded headlight. Ingeneral the under portion of the shade should be of reflective materialso as to throw the light down on the track to aid in illuminating thesame.

,. Although I have shown and described a shade which in normal positionextends only half-way down by the side of the lenses, still I do notlimit myself to such a shade, inasmuch as it is evident that in somelocations it may be desirable to have a deeper shade, while in otherlocations it may not be necessary that the shade should extend half-waydown; y a

Although I have shown and described a rod for connection to a point onthe shade for controlling the same from the cab, still I do not limitmyself to the use of a red, as it is evident that an suitable connectormay housed. Neither o I limit myself to the use of a thumb-screw forconnecting the rod to the shade, as it is evident that the na ture ofthis connector will depend upon whether it is necessary to easilydisconnect the rod from the shade. and other circum stances. Neither doI limit myself to the use of lugs formed on the body portion of theheadlight and ears formed on the shade and adapted to e06 crate withtheflu s for supportin the sha e," as the manner 0 connecting tlie shadeto the body portion of a the headlight will depend upon the size of theshade, its shape, the shape of the headlight and other clrcumstances.

It is evident that any suitable means may be rovidedin the cab forcontrolling the position of the shade, and this may be in the form of atil'mmb-screw as shown and described, orin the form of a rack or anyother suitable device.

Although I have shown and described a shade adapted to be controlledfrom a dis-. tance by l'neans of a rod or otherwise, still I contemplatealso the use of a shade provided with a thumb-screw or other lockingdevice, so that it may be firmly secured in any position without thepossibility of being controlled from a distance, as it is evident thatthis would be the simplest form in headlight to permit the shade to beswun,

downward an amount to partially cut oil the main beam of light, and theside walls portion to prevent the embracing the bod escape of lightsldewise past the shade, whereby that portion of the beam of light whichis directed horizontally down the track is cut off and that portionthereof which illuminates the trackv immediately in advance of thelocomotive is not cut off, substantially as described. I

2. In combination with the forward portion and lens of a headlight, aswinging shade therefor in the form of an apron substantially straightin its longitudinal direction, provided with [downwardly hanging sidewalls of substantial depth, and of a relatively freflective character onits lower inner face, the shade bein pivoted to the upper portion of thehead ight body rearwa'rdly of the lens, and being of such a width thatthe downwardly hanging side walls extend outward] past the sides of theheadlight to permit t e shade to be swung downward an amount topartially cut off the by" that portion of the beam of light which isdirected horizontally down the traclr is cut off and is deflecteddownwardly to 1lluniinate the track immediately in advance of theloconilotive, substantially as described.

. JOHN R. GREEN. Witnesses:

.Cm'rroun BRALY, FRANK M. TATUM.

